Photography of GC

by Mandy Pennington

X Marks the Spot by Maggie Schoepke

“I took this photo on a short boardwalk through some forest area in Marco Island, Fla. I cast my sister as my young female subject, as she is often my favorite subject and is a willing model. The title of this piece conveys the beach-y atmosphere of the island nicely. It is my hope that through this picture, creativity will be sparked and stories will come alive like never before. I want everyone to have their own interpretation of it; that’s what I think truly makes photography fun and interactive in the end.”
Maggie has been taking photos since she was in fourth grade. “I took photos amateurly of course, but as I entered middle school and high school I began to take the medium more seriously,” she said. When asked what inspired her love for photography, she answered, “just the ability to capture a significant moment in time and/or convey a story to someone else in an interesting and unique way.” Most of Maggie’s subjects convey everyday life, but she often “ventures” into fantasy photography, of which X Marks the Spot is an example.

Splash of Color by Rachel Koehnemann

“With this photo, I was hoping to help my audience to not think of your typical ‘deep’ picture in front of a wall, but rather a more exciting and happy one. I tried to accomplish this by adding a ‘splash of color.’”

Rachel has recently discovered a passion for photography. She explained, “I have always had an interest in photography, but never pursued it until this past year. I normally stay along the lines of Photoshop or drawing as a form of art, but decided I need to venture outside of that realm.” Ever since Rachel began attending GC, she has grown to love photography more and more. She visits Maves and the St. Louis Art Museum frequently. Rachel said, “Since I just started to experiment with photography on a deeper level, I am hoping to better my skill set in the near future.”

Towering Under the City of Lights by Abby Modaff

“I wanted to be able to capture the intricate pattern on the Eiffel Tower and how it can light up the sky. You can see that there are traffic lights around it, which show that it is right in the middle of everything. I can remember standing back and looking at the Eiffel Tower, in complete awe of how it lit up the night sky.”

Abby became interested in photography her sophomore year of high school when she found a film camera in her basement and began taking photos. She continued to develop the film herself until she switched to digital photography during her senior year. Abby explained her love for photography as this: “Photos are proof that once, even if just for a second, everything is or was perfect. I love being able to capture emotion in different situations that can bring back memories from that event.” Abby identifies as a sports or architecture/nature photographer.

Jordanby Anna Brannon

At the time that I took this picture, I was really focusing on improving my portraiture and trying to make my images more intimate. When I look at this photo, I see Jordan, a squirrelly kid from Jocote — a community where I worked in Nicaragua. I see his fingers grimy from playing in the dirt and the mango juice that he’s about to wipe on his shirt. I see a boy whose skin color is different from mine and who is growing up in a world entirely different from the one that I grew up in. But I look at it knowing that our similarities as human beings far outweigh our differences. And I hope that other people can look at this photo and see that too: that kids will be kids and people will be people, no matter where they’re from.

Anna began taking pictures when she got her first digital point and shoot camera during her freshman year of high school. She said that at first she was inspired by “flowers, clouds, or anything in nature really. When I saw something beautiful or interesting, I couldn’t not take a picture of it.” Anna identifies as a “life or travel photographer,” and explained, “I prefer photos that tell a story or capture a person in their element. I’m especially inspired when I’m in Nicaragua.”